Ekiti promotes 15,772 workers

Ekiti State government has promoted 15,772 workers cutting across local government, teaching service and the core civil service.

Similarly, the government has paid two months salaries in December while Christmas bonus will be paid immediately after the Christmas.

The beneficiaries of the promotion are those whose promotions were due in 2012, 2013 and 2014, according to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.

In a statement on Sunday, by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr Idowu Adelusi, Governor Ayodele Fayose approved the mass promotion at a meeting held with labour union leaders and top civil servants in Ado-Ekiti.

The governor also ordered that the letters of promotion by given the affected workers without delay. However, the cash backing for the promotions would be effective as from March 2017.

The CPS quoted the governor as saying that “We won’t deny our workers their dues and entitlements, economic recession or no economic recession. As leaders of the state, we must be fair to all and that is what we are doing. Our administration is resolute in giving the best to all Ekiti people, including those in the public service.

“This month, we have paid two salaries. We are paying Christmas bonus after the holiday. We deliberately spaced that one out so that after Christmas holiday, workers will get that in their accounts,” he said.

The Vice Chairman, Ekiti State Council of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Adeniyi. Olugbenga, described the gesture as unprecedented in the history of the state.

The state president of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), Comrade Bunmi Ajimoko, said Governor Fayose is truly a friend of workers.

Meanwhile, Ekiti State government has announced that it has paid N140 million severance package to some former elected public officerholders at the local government level.

A statement by the government on Monday explained that “those affected are those elected into office in 1999, 2006 and 2008.”

According to the statement from the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Mr Idowu Adelusi, Governor Fayose gave the order for the payment in Ado-Ekiti during a meeting he held with the affected persons.

Adelusi also quoted the governor as saying that families of those already dead must be paid the entitlements of their deceased ones.

He also warned local government officials who would effect the payment against playing politics with the exercise.

Speaking on behalf of beneficiaries, Mr Akinola Sadola commended the governor’s gesture.

He added that despite the economic recession in the country, Fayose could still think of ameliorating the plight of former public officeholders.